


Begin as You Mean to Go On

by Giddygeek



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Imported, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2066262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giddygeek/pseuds/Giddygeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hey," Steve said, looking up. He was a million times more relaxed here at home, after a little bit of mayhem, than he'd been at the sleek and shiny government party. He held out one of the glasses. "Happy New Year?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Begin as You Mean to Go On

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to lj in 2010.

"I feel like I'm on some deep undercover op," Steve muttered in Danny's ear. He twisted his tie, trying to loosen it, and somehow _still_ looked sleek and polished. Danny hadn't messed with his tie once, and still looked like he'd been through a tornado.

"I hate how you do this," he said, and reached up to loosen Steve's tie for him. "Go put your cargo pants back on, get a t-shirt, get your boots. You look like you're _this guy_ , it's weirding me out."

"She'd have had me shot on sight," Steve said. He looked down at Danny, then leaned in a little, giving him access. Danny finished with the tie, straightened Steve's collar. He was fussing, knew he was fussing, but Steve was still watching the room with narrowed eyes. He was _treating_ this like some deep undercover op and it was making Danny tense; fussing chilled him out. Gave him something to do, a way to burn off nervous energy.

"She wouldn't have shot you," he said, brushing his hands across Steve's tense shoulders.

Steve looked at him again. "She'd have shot me a little."

"She'd have _had_ you shot," Danny corrected, nodding. "A little. Just a little, though. It's a holiday, she's a nice lady; a nice flesh wound or something, maybe, sure. C'mere, gimme your wrists."

"My cufflinks are fine, Danno," Steve said. He finally straightened, took a step back; he was looking over Danny's shoulder and his face had gone cool, blank. Danny made a face, then turned, and there she was.

"Good evening, Commander McGarrett," the governor said, sweeping in. Her dress was gold and black and low-cut in a classy way, her smile charming. "Detective Williams. How nice to see you."

"You too," Danny said. He wasn't expecting the brisk kiss on the cheek and ducked his chin, wishing he'd shaved a little better. She gave Steve the same quick brush of a kiss and Danny watched him tense up a little more; you'd have thought it was the prelude to a knife in the gut, the way that guy looked. "Ah, happy New Year."

"The same to you both," she said. She was smiling at Steve, a little wryly. Smart woman, totally caught his tension. Then again, he wasn't exactly subtle with it. "You clean up well, gentlemen. Are you enjoying the festivities?"

"I am," Danny said. He edged forward a little, between them. Subtle he wasn't, either. Steve hated this kind of bullshit, this brown-nosing kind of event; his attitude didn't go with his fancy dress uniform, but he was the officer and Danny was the gentleman, that was all. Danny quirked a smile. "I'd be enjoying it more with a flute of that champagne in my hands, but this guy seems to think we're on duty, I don't know, he's got a disorder."

The governor laughed politely, touched Danny's arm. "You're off duty," she said, light and reassuring. "I'll send someone to you with that champagne. Relax, Commander. Security is tight this evening--no cause for concern."

"Yeah, in my experience, when security is drawn tight? It breaks down fast," Steve said. He was still scanning the crowd like he expected it to turn on him. Danny watched him, and waved off the waiter the governor had summoned with a subtle hand signal.

"Thanks, no thanks," he said, smiling. "He, uh--Commander McGarrett, he's got a point, you know? I'll pass."

"Huh," Steve said, suddenly, reaching out to tap Danny's chest. "Danno--you see that?" and damn it, of course, of course Danny did see that, was already moving, was throwing himself over the governor and covering her.

"What do you think you're _doing_?" she yelped, and Danny said, "We are just _never ever off-duty_ ," and Steve was doing something in the corner with a serving platter, a toothpick, and two hors d'oevres--

Which was when the chandelier crashed down, taking out a sculpture, a floral arrangement, a chocolate fountain, and three masked shooters.

~~~

"Hey, Danno," Steve said, when Danny was dropping him off, so late that night it was early in the morning. "Come in for a minute, I got a thing."

Danny looked at him through his lashes, scowling. "You got a _what_? A _thing_? What kind of _thing_ requires that I get my tired ass out of this car at dark o'clock in the morning and go in that house with you, when I could be driving home, getting some sleep, and pretending my new year hadn't started with a hail of gunfire, which seems like some kind of unfortunate sort of dangerous omen?"

"A thing you'll like," Steve said, grinning, and got out of the car. He still looked kind of dashing, the bastard; cut up a little from flying glass, burn mark on his sleeve, hair all mussed. He didn't bother waiting for Danny, or gesturing for Danny to follow him. He just went inside, and left the door open.

"A thing I'll like, he says," Danny muttered. But he got out of the car and followed Steve into the house because that was what he did now, following Steve when he should've been too busy _knowing better_ to bother.

"I feel like something the cat dragged in," he bitched as he closed the door behind him, locked it behind him. Steve had taken off his shoes and left them on the tile, tumbled over each other, all shiny where they weren't dusty and cut up from crystal shards. His jacket had been tossed on a side table, burned sleeve dangling limp off the edge.

For a guy who'd learned neatness from the Navy and had probably hazed a guy for a loose thread more than once in his life, Steve was pretty lazy about his own clothes. No real surprise there, Danny thought; he'd never met anyone who hated being dressed half as much as Steve did.

Danny kicked his own shoes off, loosened his tie as he trailed his partner into the kitchen. Steve turned from the refrigerator as Danny padded in. He had a magnum of champagne and two flutes in his hand, a tray of cheese and crackers already out on the counter.

"Hey," he said, looking up. He was a million times more relaxed here at home, after a little bit of mayhem, than he'd been at the sleek and shiny government party. He held out one of the glasses. "Happy New Year?"

"You--" Danny shook his head. He took a flute, watched Steve pop the cork--of course he didn't let it go flying; he was too goddamn debonair for that--and let Steve pour him a drink.

"You are something else," he said. "This is the thing I'll like? A champagne toast at four in the morning? Because I have to say, yeah, sure I like champagne, I like a good celebration as much as the next guy, but I also like putting on my shorts and crawling into my bed and getting a little shut-eye before my boss calls me," he took his phone out of his pocket, waved it at Steve, "so we can go charging across the island again, rescuing more government officials in distress."

Steve shrugged at him, grinning. "What," he said. "I just thought we'd toast, before you helped me take off my tie, since you were so into it earlier."

Danny narrowed his eyes. " _Into_ it? I'll tell you about into it, Steve--"

"And then maybe you could help me take off my pants," Steve said, grinning a little, and he held out his glass.

Danny said, "Oh," and toasted automatically, drained his champagne in a couple long gulps, aware of Steve watching him, standing across the counter from him in half his suit, barefoot, looking like a fucking audition for a Bond flick, if Bond flicks involved more dudes taking off their pants. "Yeah, okay," he said, putting his glass down on the counter with a quiet click and reaching for his crazy-ass, dangerous, gorgeous partner. "Cheers."


End file.
